The parts that make up the EC87 and EN87 are tiny. Your work area should be well lit. I use a cheap telescoping magnifier light like those available from Harbor Freight. I work on a white paper towel. That prevents me from loosing parts among all the junk on my workbench and keeps the little balls from rolling off the table. Toothpicks are handy for picking up the friction springs. Non-magnetic tweezers are nice for picking up the balls. I found some nice non-magnetic tweezers at a train show.
The figure below gives particulars for mounting the EN87. A fixture is included with our EN87 Assembly Tool Kit to assist in locating the required 0-80 mounting holes.
The rust-brown factory finish of the Sergent Engineering couplers is
certainly a cut above factory finishes traditionally provided on couplers. This
finish is not a paint but is actually obtained by chemically altering the zinc surface
of the parts. The end result is a very durable finish, but one that will reflect
light in odd ways due to the grain structure of the metal. The surface is more
shiny than is desirable, and when viewed at certain angles, irregularly shaped
bronze colored spots may be visible. The couplers may be painted to overcome these
problems, and the factory finish provides an excellent base for
the paint.
Paint the castings before they are assembled. Solvent based paint (I use Floquil Oxide Red) can be baked on to provide the necessary durability required by this application. I use an old toaster oven. Preheat to 200F and bake for 2 hours. Brush painting works fine, is easy to do, and generates less nasty fumes than air brushing. I put the couplers in the oven immediately after applying the Oxide Red paint. After the castings come out of the oven, Roof Brown is applied to the core holes on the thumb side of the coupler. Any excess can be wiped away with your finger. Thin washes of paints can then be applied to weather the castings to your desires. Once this is complete send the casting back to the oven again.
You will need to clear any paint from the knuckle pivot holes before assembly. A #76 drill in a pinvise can be used for this task.